Category Archives: Movie/Book Reviews
My Introduction to Montaigne
In plodding my way slowly through the Great Books series, I found a special treat in Michel de Montaigne, a 16th Century French philosopher. His thoughts peel back the surface of human interaction, often to an uncomfortable degree. But he … Continue reading
The True Believer by Eric Hoffer; book review
I recently read for the third time a book I was introduced to in PoliSci 101 as an extra credit assignment. In the past, to me The True Believer; Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer was … Continue reading
"Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy – Book Review
Tolstoy’s very readable tale of Prince Dmitry Ivanich Nekhlyudov, a man humbled by the results of his past sins and attempting to right wrongs and redeem himself, is a timeless criticism of human attempts at civilization and self-rule. In the … Continue reading
"The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution" book review
Last week I finished a new book called The Summer of 1787: the Men Who Invented the Constitution by David O. Stewart. The author does a good job of weaving together vignettes of the Framers, notes on the contemporary situation, … Continue reading
"John Adams" book review
I just finished John Adams by David McCullough. What a fine rendering of a great, courageous, intelligent man! To begin with, the book is very well written and readable; McCullough does a great job of making a compelling story out … Continue reading
Book Review – Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War
Seeing my interest in Team of Rivals about the Lincoln presidency, Heather bought me Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War. This was a very interesting book about two men and the war that brought them together.
Book Review – Eisenhower: Soldier and President
I was intrigued by the quotes from Eisenhower that I found while writing a previous post, and I decided I needed to learn more about this man. So I picked up the one-volume biography by Stephen E. Ambrose, an abridgment … Continue reading
"Why We Fight" movie review
In the middle of reading Eisenhower: Soldier and President by Stephen E. Ambrose, I saw in the video store a picture of Eisenhower on a documentary called Why We Fight. It was the Grand Jury Prize Winner at the 2005 … Continue reading
Movie Review: The Great Debaters
Saturday Heather and I watched The Great Debaters, a show produced by Oprah Winfrey and directed by Denzel Washington based on the actual 1935 debate team from then-exclusively black Wiley College in east Texas who did so well locally and … Continue reading
Sicko the movie
Last night I watched Sicko, Michael Moore’s film about the U.S. healthcare system. I’ll give you some time . . .OK, now that you’ve recovered from the mention of the hated film-maker, can we move on? It was a movie … Continue reading